WOT causing LASER warning?

I've noticed that since I went Stage 2 whenever I go fully WOT, especially in 4th and 5th, I get a laser alert on my Escort 9500i Anyone else had this happen? Any idea why it's doing this? I know that the GPS can send laser signals and thought maybe it was due to front end lift but the Radar detector is solidly mounted to my windshield under the rear view mirror so when the GPS lifts it does too. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this...

There's a new one.....

 

Laser detectors are sensitive to light input (obviously) but im stumped as to what sort of electrical interference could be generated at WOT....

Yes I know exactly what's causing it. When you go WOT the output of your alternator increases voltage output and the capacitors in the laser section of the detector can't handle it. The capacitors they used degrade over time. I've repaired the two Escort 8500 detectors I have by replacing the tantalum surface mount capacitors in the laser section. I think Escort will fix it for a nominal fee of about $50.

That sounds pretty crazy. I've had an 8500 for 18 months and a stg 2 legacy without any issues.

I have this problem too.

I have this problem on my 8500. It does that in my other cars too when I go WOT, so i know its not the LGT or the other car causing it. I just turn off Laser in the advanced settings, because it got really annoying. Your screwed anyways when a cop hits you with laser.

Spec B's ripping through the space-time continuum! Dear lord! Stay away from 88!

I can't believe I'm reading this. I have the same problem. It used to happen more when my car had less mods but I just assumed the detector was reacting to electrical noise or something.

Same problem here.

 

Went through 2 STR-Rs and they both had the same problem. Now I just keep the laser detection off.

I have the same problem and my 8500 x50 is only a month and a half old

Yes I know exactly what's causing it. When you go WOT the output of your alternator increases voltage output and the capacitors in the laser section of the detector can't handle it. The capacitors they used degrade over time. I've repaired the two Escort 8500 detectors I have by replacing the tantalum surface mount capacitors in the laser section. I think Escort will fix it for a nominal fee of about $50.

 

Winner winner, chicken dinner.

 

I was stumped all day as to what could be causing that type of interference, but I think he is spot on.

wow glad I'm not the only one who has experienced this I figured it may have had something to do with increased alternator output but had no idea about the capacitors in the detector. If Escort will replace them for $50 I'm sure they can't be too hard to do, maybe I'll have to look into it...

Add me to the list...8500

My 8500 does the same thing.

Originally Posted by G35C_WRX_MX5_MR2

Yes I know exactly what's causing it. When you go WOT the output of your alternator increases voltage output and the capacitors in the laser section of the detector can't handle it. The capacitors they used degrade over time. I've repaired the two Escort 8500 detectors I have by replacing the tantalum surface mount capacitors in the laser section. I think Escort will fix it for a nominal fee of about $50.

 

Winner winner, chicken dinner.

 

I was stumped all day as to what could be causing that type of interference, but I think he is spot on.

 

It's a simple repair if you can solder. I didn't take any photos when I repaired mine but here's a description. Open the case and you'll see a section of the PC board with an RF shield over it. This is the laser section. The RF shield is held in place by a couple of solder tabs. You can melt the solder holding them at the same time as prying them up so the tabs will be perpendicular to the board and you'll be able to pull the shield away from the PC board. Under the shield look for the surface mount tantalum capacitor it will probably be small yellow capacitor marked 226. This signifies 22UF (micro farad). They used only 20 volt parts and since they degraded they can't handle even 14.5 or so volts, this is what causes the false signal. Get a 22UF capacitor the same size but 25V and replace the bad part. These parts can be removed with a small soldering iron if you're careful not to rip the traces off the board. Clean the flux off the board with some alcohol or flux cleaner, re-install the RF shield and you're done. I've fixed two units this way and have not had a single false Laser signal since. The laser portion still works great.

Has anyone tried using a voltage stabilizer/condenser/grounding kit for this issue? I have the Buddy Club condenser and never have this issue with my hardwired Bel 975R. It also smoothed out a rough idle issue I was having. Boston tollbooths set off my laser detector for some reason though.

legacys are "noisy" electrically under WOT. Send it to escort for shielding around the sensor. I had it done years ago. I posted about this in the forums.

Wow, I guess I'm not the only one who has see this. Glad I came across this thread! I'm running a hardwired Escort 8500. I didn't notice the problem until I became hardwired.

Yes I know exactly what's causing it. When you go WOT the output of your alternator increases voltage output and the capacitors in the laser section of the detector can't handle it. The capacitors they used degrade over time. I've repaired the two Escort 8500 detectors I have by replacing the tantalum surface mount capacitors in the laser section. I think Escort will fix it for a nominal fee of about $50.

 

^ Winner indeed!!!!

 

This is a very, very common problem as the detectors age - and this fix addresses, specifically, one of the potential problem-points.

 

Alternatively:

 

legacys are "noisy" electrically under WOT. Send it to escort for shielding around the sensor. I had it done years ago. I posted about this in the forums.

 

^ That's the other main reason. Brother jim1969 is well-versed in speed-detection countermeasures, and is also a long-time Escort user like myself.

 

The Escort detectors are somewhat more prone to various electrical "noise" eliciting the false-alert. Although we're, by far, not the only make/model of vehicles affected, this does seem to be a common occurrence on modern FI Subarus - search on various Subaru-related Forums, and you'll find such tales.

 

Before you go with the capacitor fix (if you're out-of-warranty and not averse to DIYing that fix, that is), try starting off with the ferrite choke method described in the reference posts below. In many cases, this will take care of the issue, and you'll have avoided major surgery on your unit. This is particularly important to try if you have a *NEW*, out-of-the-box detector, as you don't just want to send it back to Escort/Bel, complaining of "falsing under WOT" - they'll literally go in and add more shielding to the LASER circuitry, and that *will* decrease your detector's already rather lackluster LASER sensitivity/receptivity by up to 1/3. If you have a new unit that's exhibiting this issue, send it in only as a last resort.

 

Aside from the capacitors, there's also a potential that the shielding around the LASER detection elements have degraded (including having fallen out of place, from years of road-use). Additionally, ancillary interference (crimped lines, loose ground/power tap, loose connector, vibration/placement, interference from nearby NAV screens or other IR-sources, etc.) should all be ruled-out in a systematic manner.

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63898&highlight=escort+noise

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94493&highlight=escort+noise&page=2

 

Overall, this last thread should be a must-read:

 

http://www.radardetector.net/forums/escort/24540-possible-cure-x50-false-laser-alerts.html

 

 

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Has anyone tried using a voltage stabilizer/condenser/grounding kit for this issue? I have the Buddy Club condenser and never have this issue with my hardwired Bel 975R. It also smoothed out a rough idle issue I was having.

 

Unknown - it could simply even be that your LGT is electrically "quieter" than others. I know that my LGT - at least the circuit I tapped for my detector - is "quieter" than the average Subaru's. My 9500i will false LASER on my wife's FXT, at-WOT, without a ferrite choke.

 

Boston tollbooths set off my laser detector for some reason though.

That's simple - there's a nearby IR source that's close enough to-wavelength to set off the LASER detection circuitry. Such sources are common around toll-booths and the like.

 

If you've got the GPS-based lock-out enabled Escort/Bel detectors, you can actually lock out false-LASER alerts.

 

 

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Edit - so here's my question:

 

This question by the OP appears in the "Tuning" section, since it's only happened after he'd "gone 'Stage II.'"

 

What happened to the OP's vehicle, between being at-OEM, and "Stage II," that caused this? Or is this just coincidence?

Unfortunately this link isn't loading for me:

http://www.radardetector.net/viewtopic.php?t=26821

Wow...I can't believe I am reading this...I have a V1 from 1998....it used to go off as I was logging in 3rd...scared the crap out of me as Im going nearly 100 by the time I hit redline in 3rd....

 

I also have seen the laser go off at other weird times (not at WOT)...must be some sort of interference...I remeber there being ambulances/Fire rescue trucks around whne it went off on several occasions.

Unfortunately this link isn't loading for me:

http://www.radardetector.net/viewtopic.php?t=26821

 

^ That's an old link, from before they re-did their Forum software - the new link should be the last one I provided in the post above.

 

http://www.radardetector.net/forums/escort/24540-possible-cure-x50-false-laser-alerts.html

 

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Wow...I can't believe I am reading this...I have a V1 from 1998....it used to go off as I was logging in 3rd...scared the crap out of me as Im going nearly 100 by the time I hit redline in 3rd....

 

I also have seen the laser go off at other weird times (not at WOT)...must be some sort of interference...I remeber there being ambulances/Fire rescue trucks around whne it went off on several occasions.

 

Anything that aged/with that many road miles should get a tune-up. Valentine Research is very good at this, and will actually bench-test the units before they do anything to them - i.e. they won't just break it open without reason. If the detector is a "factory freak," and is better off left alone and not "tuned-up," they will actually let you know, it's happened to our community's members, before.

 

But yes, light is light - and the V1's extreme sensitivity to LASER (many of us speed-detection countermeasures enthusiasts believe that if live in an area where LIDAR enforcement is routine, and you do not go with an active jammer for your LIDAR protection, then you should only use the V1 [assuming you are staying solely with in-cabin, stand-alone detectors] - tests such as this show why: http://www.laserveil.com/laser/detectors/reviews-tests-2009/ ) means that it simply will "false" more, and that includes falsing to bright/pulsed light sources, such as IR or even visible-spectrum LEDs.

 

As with RADAR, there is a trade-off between sensitivity and selectivity.

While we are at this, where is the best place to pick up a clean power source from our LGTs?

 

When I first hooked up my STI-r, I used the plug hidden behind the fuse box that was supposed to be used for genuine subaru accessories and I started getting laser alerts on the second day. Thinking the cleanest powersource should be the most direct powersource, I ran a +ve wire directly to the battery but it never solved the problem (could it even have made the matter worse by running an unshieled wire around the car picking up interferance?).

 

Also, since this is a remote unit, I'll need to route the sensor cable from under my dashboard all the way to the front grill of my car (where my sensor is placed). Could it also be picking up interference on the way?

 

Oh, and I was lazy and simply connected the ground to a random screw on the chassis (the one securing the fuse fox). Could this also be another cause of my problem?

Oh, and the speakers in my STI-r makes weird noises when I start my car too. Does anyone have that problem? Electrical noise again?

^ Most likely, you just have a noisier car than others. My countermeasures are not sourced from anything other than relatively common taps, from the in-cabin fuse-box, so you should not have an issue.

 

The wiring going to the firewall-forward components should have sufficient shielding that they *should not* be picking up extra interference that way, but again, this is a potential unknown.